As the nation’s politicians rally to make their case ahead of the impending federal election, Griffith University has launched an online resources portal, Below the Line, to help keep Aussie voters educated about their electorate and would-be representatives.
The new website compiles expert analysis from Griffith academics, information from the Regional Innovation Data Lab’s Data Dashboard and the Policy Innovation Hub’s Machinery of Government blog, and the latest episodes from the University’s political podcast, A Middle Ground.
Below the Line highlights Griffith’s interdisciplinary approach to election coverage and commentary, calling on the expertise of academics from across the University to present a comprehensive, multilevel picture of the local electoral landscape.
While Machinery of Government and A Middle Ground provide reasoned thought leadership on the hot-button issues of the day, the Data Dashboard takes a more statistics-driven approach, highlighting key facts and figures about Queenslanders and their electorates, including home ownership status, income, population projections and employment.
“The Data Dashboard aims to make the voting process as accessible and understandable as possible,” Professor John Wanna, a Griffith political analyst, said.
“This will hopefully encourage people to make full use of their democratic right to have their say in determining how their country is governed at May’s federal election.”
With the campaign ramping up as voters prepare to head to the polls on May 18, Below the Line will continue to be populated with new features and content, providing pundits and punters alike with a repository of key facts and figures, framed against the key issues set to inform the way Queensland — and Australia — votes next month.
Find out more at Below the Line.